The Minnesota Wild will reportedly lose a familiar face on the blue line as Matt Dumba is reportedly close to agreeing to a one-year deal with the Arizona Coyotes.
According to TSN’s Elliotte Friedman, Dumba will reportedly make $4 million in his new contract which will make his departure from Minnesota official.
The Wild selected Dumba with the seventh overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft and he played 10 seasons in Minnesota racking up 236 points (79 G, 157 A) in 598 career games.
Dumba’s best season came as a 23-year-old when he recorded a career-high 50 points (14 G, 36 A) in 82 games during the 2017-18 season and was on pace to shatter those marks after putting up 22 points (12 G, 10 A) in the first 32 games of the 2018-19 season before he suffered a torn pectoral muscle in a fight against Matthew Tkachuk.
Dumba hasn’t been the same player since the injury, averaging 21.5 points over the past five seasons and posting just 14 points (4 G, 10 A) in 79 games last season.
But while Dumba’s performance on the ice declined, he stepped up in the community, raising $200,000 to help rebuild the neighborhoods damaged in the aftermath of the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Dumba also became a voice for equality as one of the founding members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance which aims to eradicate systemic racism and intolerance in hockey.
With Dumba on his way to Arizona, the Wild’s blue line will have a slightly different look next season.
Cap Friendly projects Jacob Middleton and captain Jared Spurgeon to remain on the top defensive pairing but Dumba is likely to be replaced by Maple Grove native and former Minnesota Gophers captain Brock Faber, who made his NHL debut toward the end of last season.
With Jon Merrill getting benched during last year’s playoffs and Calen Addison landing in Dean Evason’s doghouse for inconsistent performances, maintaining the Wild’s performance on the blue line will be a key storyline as Minnesota looks to return to the playoffs next year.
